The FBI has issued a new warning on Magecart e-skimming attacks, used by cybercriminals to steal your credit card or payment card information.
Magecart is an online credit card stealing or “e-skimming” attack responsible for numerous malware attacks in the past few years.
As part of e-skimming attacks, hackers implant malicious code into websites and third-party systems. As a result, the bad actors can then steal your payment card data via checkout page.
Magecart attacks were behind the breach of online campus stores last year. Similar e-skimming attacks were also used in the Feedify and British Airways website breaches.
An FBI cyber chief Herb Stapleton told CNBC that “millions of credit card numbers have been stolen, even over the course of the past two years.”
Stapleton added that such e-skimming attacks are “nearly impossible for a consumer to detect” before the actual payment card theft occurs.
In addition, the FBI further warned that cybercrimes involving e-skimming are growing in sophistication and the malware is being shared more online.
To help protect your payment card data online, consumers can follow these safeguards:
- Don’t use debit cards online.
- Use a “virtual credit card” (card issued for specific merchant).
- Monitor your payment cards for unusual activity and report it right away.
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Check out the following related articles:
- Magecart skimming attack targets online campus stores
- MageCart compromises Feedify
- Quest Diagnostics data breach impacts 11.9 million patients
- British Airways data breach update.